Automatic pipe-coupling for railway-cars.



No. 898,2l4.

PATENTED SEPT. a, 1909, E. E. GOLD. AUTOMATIC PIPE COUPLING FOR RAILWAY GARS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27, 1903.

INVENTOR: gm 5 By A/lameys, m nmn WITNESSES. HM 104 7 UNIT D STATES rA'rE-NT OFFICE.

EDWARD E. GOLD, OF NEW YORK, N Y.

AUTOMATIC n-mcocpnme non RAILWAY-CARS.

. air' brake or signal'pipes, or any two or all of,

these on railway cars, wherein the respective heads of the coupling engage automatically as the cars are rought together. To this end it is customary in such'co plings to con: nect the coupling heads mechanically to the car coupler or the draw bars thereof, in order that as the car couplers come together the pipe couplersshall be presented in correct ation for automatic engagement. Such pipe couplers as heretofore constructed are found to operate satisfactorily under normal conditions, but are subject to the serious disadvantage that in rounding very sharp .curves, and articularly on reverse curves,

the coupling eads open out or unfold laterally by rocking or tilting the one upon the other, thereby permitting an escape of the compressed fluid, which deranges the .normal operation of the air brake or signal systems, and, in the case-of the steam-heating pi e, permits an escape of steam,- which is liable to scald persons standing alongsidg the track.

My invention aims to overcome this disadvantage of such automatic pipe couplers.

According to my invention I add to the normal or existing couplin devices a spring latch or look on one coup ing head having beveled faces adapted as the coupling heads come together to slide into engagement with theopposite coupling head, and preferably so beveled that as the couplers are drawn apart in parting the cars, the latch shall yield and release its hold upon the opposite head. Preferably for symmetry and for the better interlockingof the respective heads I provide each with a latch on one side, so that as the heads come together their respective latches engag'e on opposite sides of the respective heads. The latches are made with sul'liciently stiil' springs and a sulliciently acute bevel to enable them to hold the coupling heads firmly together in rounding the sharpest curves that are found in practice.

On the other hand the strength is insuliicient Specification of Letters Patent. I Application filed November 27, 1908. Serial No. 182,934.

Patented Sept. 8, 1908.

to hold the coupling heads together duringthe act of uncouph'n a v I will proceed to escribe the application of my invention to'a'n example of automatic pipe cou ling, the coupling. selected for this purpose eing of a known type.

Figure 1 of the accompanying-drawings is -a plan showing a pair of couplers provided with my invention in the coupled position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a front or end elevation of one of the couplin heads. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizonta section. Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmentaryhort zontal sections showing part of Fig. 4 modlfied Referring to the drawings let AA designate the respectlve coupling heads of any suitable i or known (fonstruction, and let B B designate the usual orany suitable supports connecting them to the car couplers or draw bars in the well known manner. Although this connection is well understood I have in Fig.2 shown the support B as rovided with its clamp B surroundin the raw bar, the latter beingshown-in otted lines at C., The -cou ler shown is provided with three seats a a a, ig. .3, communicatin respectively with three pipes D E F, vwhic 1 may be the signal, brake and steam-heating pipes respectively. These pipes are connected through any suitable flexible orarticulated connection with the corresponding pipes on the respective cars in the well known manner. serves as a, uid'e and connection between the support B and the coupling head A. In the articular coupling shown the coupling hea s A are made each with a flat front plate b and with two diagonally opposite outwardly-flaring wings c c, the wing c occupy-' ing the upper and right-hand quarter and the wing c occupying the lower and left-hand quarter of the coupling, so that when the opposite head ap roaches, its wing 0 will fill the u per and leftland space and its wing 0 will fiil the lower and right-hand space, as will be apparent from Fig. 3. The Wings 0 c serve as guides as the coupling heads come together, being beveled on their edges so that as they engage one another they will force the heads to enter into correct relations, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2: The heads are presscd'for-' Ward by heavy sprin s G G which react against the supports The parts are so proportioned'that as the cars come together the pipe couplers engage in advance of the car The middle pipe E practicable to make the springs G or other heads to approach in substantia alinement locking together the approach of the su stress or tendency to pry open the heads has be caught by it.

' feated. The end it of the spring may be excouplers,t hei'r seati'ngfaces coming into abutl ment when the respective car couplers have' interengaged far enough to insure their correct almement, and thereby, through the supports B B, to cause the pi e coupling with one another. During the remaining movement and while the car couplers are ports B serves to compress the s rin s G which thereby serve to hold the ea s A A pressed strongly together.

.As thus far described the construction is that of an already known automatic coupler, and is selected for the pur ose of illustrating my present invention as being typical of a class of automatic couplers where n the seats communicating with the res ective pipes are held in engagement by t e pressure of heavy springs. Heretofore these springs have been relied upon to hold the seats 1n sufficientlytight engagement to prevent their opening out, under the' pressure of the confined fluids. They have been adequate for thispurpose under normal conditions, that is, in running on straight tracks and in rounding curves of large radiusybut on curves of short radius and on reverse curves the lateral caused them to open at one side by tilting one on the other, and it has been found im-' means for forcing the heads together suflivciently strong to revent this result. I will now proceed to escribe the application of my inventionfor overcoming this defect. I apply a spring latch or latches H, preferably one -to each coupling head as shown, so that each latch will engage some suitable part or surface on the reel rocal head, in order that, the two latches sha l exert a strong tendency to hold the heads locked together at op osite sides. Preferably the u per wing c 0 each head is formed with a s ot cl through which the spring latch H works.

Preferably the latch H is made in the form of a leaf spring mounted upon a rearwardly extending arm or bracket 6 which is fixed to or made inte ral with the coupling head; from its attac ment to this arm the spring rojects forward and enters the notch (1, its ront portion being shaped with two inclined faces f and g. The face f forms an inclined plane by which as the coupling heads come together theilatch is forced outwardly in order that the side of the opposite head may The inchne g is the active or engaging face of the latch. This face may be made more or less abrupt depending upon the stiffness of the spring, the fluid pressure to be overcome, and the sharpness of the curves to be grovided against. If this face is made too a rupt proper separation of the couplings as the cars draw apart may be dethe two latches outwardly until, as the heads come into abutment, the inclined face -g of each latch enters partly behind the front plate of the opposite head, whereby the two eads are bound tightly together on op osite sides of the respective seats a 0,. So rm is this connection that it will resist a very considerable lateral or tilting stress such as tends. to pry the heads a art and permit escape of fluid pressure at t e side.

The latches may be duplicated by providing the wings 0 each with a latch as shown in dotted lines at H, Fig. 3, thereby making four latches to the complete coupling; but ordinarily two will suffice.

latch, w ich is formed of a leaf spring bent upon itself as shown and fastened to the outer part of the wing '0, thereby dispensing with the rearward su porting arm 6. The inclines f and g are unchanged.

My invention maybe greatly modified in the sha e and mounting of the latch and in its nice anical construction. For example in Fig. 6 the latch is shown as a sliding bolt H ressed inward by a leaf spring y invention is applicable to a great va- I riety of constructions of automatic cduplers and is not limited to its application to the particular construction shown.

I claim as my invention:

1. An automatic pipe cou lin for railway cars, comprising reciprocal ea s havin inter-engaging pro ect1ons and nieans for orcing them together, combined with a spring latch on each head inde endent of such forc ing means having beve ed faces adapted to engage the side of the opposite head and to resist but notprevent the prying apart of the heads by lateral stress.

2. An automatic pipe coupling for railway cars, comprising reciprocal heads having flaring wings for engaging one, another as the come together, combined with a spring latc carried by one head comprising a leaf spring formed with engaging faces projectin through an opening in one of said wings an adapted to engage the opposite head.

3. An automatic pipe cou ling for railway cars comprising reclproca heads having meeting faces in a lane transverse to the length of the cars, said heads having interengaging projections for alining them as they come together, springs for forcing them. together, and a spring latch on each head adapted to engage the opposite head and to resist but not prevent the heads by lateral'stress.

4. An automatic pipe coupling for railway cars, comprising reciprocal heads having flar prying apart-of the I ing Wings for engag' g'one another as they come together, combined with a s ring latch carried by one head comprising a leaf spring formed with beveled faces adapted to engage the siderof the opposite head, and to resist but not prevent the prying apart of the heads by lateral stress.

cars comprising 10 5. An automatic pipe cou ling for railway reclproca heads having meeting faces in a plane transverse to the length of the cars, said heads having interengaging projections for alining them as they come together, springs for forcing them together, and a spring latch on each head adapted to engage the opposite head and to 15 resist but not prevent the prying apart of the heads by lateral stress, each latch consisting of a leaf s rin fixedly united to its head, and havng a heve ed face engaging the opposite In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD E. GOLD. I

Witnesses:

THEODORE T. SNELL. FRED WHITE. 

